Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Maddie Rae checking out the chrysanthemums, which are taller than her!

Orange trees and chrysanthemums are the "Christmas trees" and poinsettias of CNY. They decorate homes, buildings, and outdoor areas everywhere. There are huge flower markets that sell them where you can get all of your decorations for the New Year. Everything is chosen because it represents something. For example, the oranges are round and orange, which will supposedly bring you good luck and fortune in the new year. Red is the color of luck, and white is the color of death. So don't get caught wearing white!
Cherry blossoms are also a popular decoration.
Trees also have lai see packets hanging from them. When you go up to someone and wish them "Kung Hei Fat Choy" or "Happy New Year", they hand you a lai see packet with money or candy in it. The boys love this tradition! They make quite a bit of lai see money each year. The rat cartoon is an effort to make the Year of the Rat appealing (at Disney they are calling it the Year of the Mouse).

I am listening to the drums of the dragon dance outside our house right now, and there is a spectacular fireworks display over Victoria Harbour tonight. Due to the crowds and cold, we probably will not haul all three kids out to that. Maddie Rae hated her Chinese New Year tutu outfit. I tried to get a picture of her in it, but she refused to comply and just cried until I exchanged the tutu for jeans. Not even 2, and she already has an opinion about her wardrobe!

Super Bowl Party...HK Style

The fans...
The food...
The cheering section...
The cheering section posing for her paparazzi...
The future receiver...

The 13 hour time difference between the US and HK puts a crimp in our chips and salsa style Super Bowl Parties. No worries. We just change the menu to include Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and bacon so that we're ready for the 7 am kick-off. I staggered to the coffee maker at 6:45 am as the die hard fans staggered over to our Slingbox, and we all had a fine time. It was very convenient that the Super Bowl happened to fall on the week of Chinese New Year, so Jon got to be home for the festivities. Otherwise there would have been no festivities. Although I did really like that Shaq horse racing commercial.

Half the Sky

Those of you in the adoption world have no doubt heard of the wonderful organization, "Half the Sky." This organization has a special place in our hearts because Maddie Rae's orphanage in Shaoguan has Half the Sky trained nannies. The nannies are trained in basic childcare including giving the babies age appropriate activities and toys, such as play time, tummy time, outdoor play, and other activities that help them develop more "normally" than other orphanages where babies are just strapped in cribs.

The winter storms moving throughout China have been devastating for many. Many people simply do not even have heat, and sadly the poor and orphaned suffer greatly during these natural disasters. Half the Sky is starting a fund to help, and I have copied part of the email from Jenny Bowen, the Executive Director, below. Any small amount can help, and this is a wonderful organization that I highly recommend.


. . . But a moment like this really cannot be ignored. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in the US taught us that no matter how wealthy a country might be, its vulnerable citizens (old, poor, ill, and orphaned children) are the ones who suffer most when disaster strikes. Even as China seems to be entering the first world, a disaster like this is quite simply crippling. We know that orphaned children will be among those who suffer the damage most. I say this because I think we should break one of Half the Sky’s rules and, if there are sufficient funds raised in the Little Mouse Emergency Fund, we should offer relief (water, food, diapers, quilts, clothing) to any orphanage where children need help. Let’s see how this goes. If people are as generous as I think they might be, we will work with the provincial Bureaus of Civil Affairs in every hard-hit community, and offer assistance to all welfare institutions where there is need.Please lend a hand, however you can. You can donate to the Little Mouse Emergency Fund by calling us in the US at +1-510-525-3377 or in Asia at +852- 2520-5266 or by visiting us at www.halfthesky.org. Once there, you can click on “Donate Now” or go here to download a form to mail or fax. Donations are tax-deductible in US,Canada and Hong Kong.Please forward this message and tell your friends and family.I will be back with an update very, very soon.

Thank you!
Jenny
Jenny Bowen
Executive Director
Half the Sky Foundation
www.halfthesky.org

How Small is She?

She fits in a shoe box...with toys!

He's off the couch!

Barely...but still it's progress. The antibiotics are working their magic, and school may be on the horizon for tomorrow.

Now if only it would WARM up around here!

Playground Night

I'm not sure if it's because we don't have to drive home, or because we live in an international community, or simply because people in Hong Kong just seem to know how to have a good time, but it is an interesting fact that no matter what the event, there will be wine. Birthday parties, teacher conferences, parent nights, school shows: the wine flows freely. In fact, last Saturday I went to pick up Jack from a birthday party. 5 bottles of wine, a cheese and pate platter, and 3 hours later, we made it home.

Tonight was no different. We started out Jack's "Playground Night" by relaxing for 30 minutes next to the open bar where the teachers sufficiently liquored the parents up so that we could better enjoy constructing playgrounds with our 6 year olds for the next hour. After we were sufficiently hydrated, we headed back to the classroom where we had to follow Jack's design and playground plan by constructing his playground. Jack being Jack, he had the whole thing mapped out and knew exactly how he was going to proceed. Much to his dismay, however, his engineer father was stuck spending the night up in Shenzhen, so he was left with his rather artistically challenged mother to help him make his playground. We did a pretty good job, I think, and his teacher even exclaimed, "See Jack, you were able to do it even though your dad couldn't be here!" What?! I get no respect...

Freezing in Hong Kong

It's not often that you get to say, "I'm freezing!" in Hong Kong, but it seems like those two words have been coming out of our mouths a lot this week. There are some major storms moving through China causing ice, snow, power outages, and people stranded all over 8 provinces. Thus the cold snap in Hong Kong. We don't have snow or ice, but I could see my breath this morning. When you don't have heat in any of the buildings, that makes for afternoons huddled in front of our little electric fan heater and snuggled under blankets. I carted home all of my sweaters last summer after thinking I must have been the dumbest person to ever move to a tropical place and bring my wool sweaters. Oh, how I wish for those warm fuzzies now!

Jonah has been really sick this week and has barely gotten off of the couch for 5 days now. He seemed even sicker today and was fighting a high fever, so I carted him over to the doctor. He is now on antibiotics and a host of other drugs, so hopefully he will be feeling well enough for his Chinese New Year party and Dragon Dance on Friday. All the decorations are up for next week, and the New Year buzz is in the air. Jack is counting down the days until no school, Maddie Rae is anxiously awaiting her Chinese New Year tutu outfit, and Jonah is just hoping to be able to lift his head off the couch!